Great American Weekend symbolizes summer

Since its inception, the Great American Weekend has continued to coincide with the prestigious Grand Circuit series for harness racing, which this year runs through Sunday.

Deborah J. Botti

To think that frankfurters could ultimately inspire greatness.

But back in 1982, parimutuel betting had stopped at the Goshen Historic Track and folks such as Mary Gray Griffith, Sally Wheeler and a number of others put their heads together to figure out ways to raise awareness, and cash, says Lynn A. Cione, executive director of the Goshen Chamber of Commerce. That gave birth to the first Great American Weekend.

"And lore has it that it started with a hot dog cart to get people to the track," says Cione.

Since its inception, the Great American Weekend has continued to coincide with the prestigious Grand Circuit series for harness racing, which this year runs through Sunday. It's also timed with the dinner to honor inductees to the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame. But there's more than horses drawing thousands to the 32nd annual red-white-and-blue mainstay that takes place this weekend.

Vendors are integral to most local festivals; however, Cione says the event has grown to 150 booth spaces, which were snapped up by May. Still, she has been receiving daily calls up to the last minute from pleading vendors.

Also new this year, in addition to entertainment under the tent, is roaming entertainment — including Banjo Don Saturday and Sunday mornings and a Mariachi band Saturday afternoon — as well as Takabyoshi, a street artist, all day Saturday.

For history buffs, not only will representatives from Museum Village be doing 19th-century demonstrations, but also for those interested in military history, there will be representative re-enactors from the Revolutionary War through World War II on both days. July 1-3 marked the 150-year anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Cione says there's a scale version of the TARTIS blue police box, and for the more mainstream, a photo booth.

"There's lots of new things going on this year," she says.

Each day at noon there are hourlong programs designed just for children: Anne Ted's Journey to the Land of Imagination Saturday, and Dr. Planet, who vows to make science fun, Sunday. And demonstrations range from dogma to dog: Happy Buddha Yoga demonstrations at 11 a.m. and the Orange County Sheriff's K-9 Unit at 1 p.m., both Sunday.

The community food tradition continues, with local not-for-profits flipping burgers, packing subs and keeping the proceeds for their worthy causes.

Thanks to the coordination of Rose Polanski, there is a variety of victuals under the main food tent, such as John S. Burke Catholic High School's gyros and Rotary's hot dogs, she says. Other groups keep the crowds refreshed with other treats such as refreshing Italian ices.

"We plan a year in advance," says Cione, who coordinates it all. "Without all the committees, it just wouldn't get done."

The state Department of Unclaimed Funds will also be represented this year to assist people in finding money they have lost track of, such as from dormant bank accounts.

And wouldn't some unexpected cash on the way make for a truly Great American Weekend?